We all remember the trade that sent Tommy Novak and Luke Schenn to the Pittsburgh Penguins. With the team's state at the time, most expected the Nashville Predators to get a talented prospect and big pick. Instead, the Preds got veteran forward Michael Bunting and a 2026 4th-rounder.
In the 18 games he played with Nashville, Bunting only managed to record nine points (5 goals and 4 assists). He averaged just over 16 minutes a night, playing with guys like Ryan O'Reilly and Jonathan Marchessault. He was solid to say the least but not the ideal piece the organization needed at the time.
With the recent addition of Erik Haula, the Predators forward core will be very tight. Considering the team's push to get younger this season, we should expect a large prospect presence throughout the lineup. If there is one guy who will be pressured the most, it'll be Bunting.
Bunting's Role Might Be Overthrown by the Youth
At the time of the trade, Bunting had a secure role in Nashville's top 6. Players like Matthew Wood hadn't made their debut yet and Zachary L'Heureux was kicking tires in the bottom 6. This gave Bunting full power to manage the left side on the second line.
In the present day, Smashville has Wood, L'Heureux, and Fedor Svechkov all looking for bigger minutes. Luke Evangelista will almost certainly be expecting 2nd line minutes which puts more stress on Bunting's tenure. Preds General Manager Barry Trotz has made it clear that he wants Svechkov as the team's 2C, meaning that Steven Stamkos will have to play wing.
This scenario suggests the first line will consist of Filip Forsberg, O'Reilly and Marchessault and the second line being Stamkos, Svechkov, and Evangelista. Notice who isn't here anymore? After these lineup changes, Bunting's DNA is no longer in the top 6.
What's the Most Likely Outcome for Bunting?
If I'm being honest, Bunting would be lucky to still be with Nashville by the trade deadline. He's on an expiring deal worth $4.5M. With one retaining spot left, Trotz could (and probably would) retain half his salary to a cup contending team for a couple draft picks.
Bunting is still a quality player. Sure, his point production has fallen off a lot since his 63-point campaign in the 2021-22 season, but he's compensated in other areas like his offensive positioning. He tends to play near the crease which makes him a prime rebound scorer. Goalies tend to ignore the guys directly in front of them and focus on the main shooters, so Bunting is often overlooked.
Given his skill and potential, we could expect a team to exchange a high second and a grade B prospect for Bunting at the deadline when his stock is the highest. Cheap, scoring wingers are pretty rare so he would be a target for many.
Here's what a trade might look like between Nashville and a team potentially interested.
In this deal, we acquire a solid left-handed defenseman and a future 2nd. Nashville would send over Bunting at 50% retained to the Toronto Maple Leafs, which gives Nashville zero retention space. The only negative with this trade is less trade freedom with players like Haula and O'Reilly. Worst case scenario, we dump Bunting for just a second and a 4th-7th rounder with no retention to clear some cap on other guys.